Mindfulness-Based Heroism: Creating Enlightened Heroes
Journal of Humanistic Psychology June 2, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/0022167817711303 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Hero Altruism biology Psychotherapist Epistemology Aesthetics |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | Heroically relevant qualities are trainable with mindfulness techniques, and enduring selflessness and service to others may be achievable for serious practitioners. |
Abstract
The field of mindfulness and the emerging science of heroism have a common interest in the causes and conditions of selfless altruism though up to this point there has been little cross-pollination. However, there is increasing evidence that mindfulness training delivers heroically relevant qualities such as increased attentional functioning, enhanced primary sensory awareness, greater conflict monitoring, increased cognitive control, reduced fear response, and an increase in loving kindness and self-sacrificing behaviors. Predicated on the notion of a “no self,” traditional mindfulness and its focus on enlightenment and selfless service may in fact be ideally suited to the development of the elusive “trait” (predictable) versus “state” (intermittent) heroic character. Interweaving observations and questions drawn from the science of heroism, the article explores the relevant theory, practices, and scientific outcomes of mindfulness. It finds that there is evidence that heroically relevant qualities are trainable with the suite of mindfulness techniques and that an enduring experience of selflessness and service of others (the enlightened hero) may well be within the grasp of the serious practitioner.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Mindfulness Training: Can It Create Superheroes? Frontiers in Psychology March 26, 2019
- Mindfulness and Nondual Well-Being – What is the Evidence that We Can Stay Happy? Review of General Psychology June 1, 2023
- Nondual Well-Being - The Evolution of Happiness Happiness and Wellness - Biopsychosocial and Anthropological Perspectives March 15, 2023
- Psychological Stages of Enlightenment IntechOpen eBooks April 22, 2025
- Creating mindful heroes: a case study with ninth grade students Frontiers in Psychology May 9, 2023
Cites 35
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise PLoS One March 25, 2008
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
and 30 more in the library